Car airbags?

Question

After a car crash and the airbag inflates, how long does it take for the airbag to deflate after the collision? Does it have to be deflated by someone?

Answer 1

It instantly inflates then deflates straight away. then needs replacing.

Answer 2

Actually, the charge that 'inflates' an airbag is an explosive. (Sodium Azide). The gases generated in the explosion 'inflate' the bag. There are built-in vents on the sides of the bags to allow the gas and residue to escape.

The residue, a sort of grayish powder, is mildly poisonous, and, if left on the skin, will be absorbed by the human body. (Some of that stunned behavior of the crash victims will be a reaction to the poisons, as well as having been through a crash.)

Airbag deflation should be almost as fast as the airbag deployment. The 'bag' assembly isn't really an airtight bag. The vents are sized to allow a fairly rapid collapse, since they are not needed after the impact is complete.

Please note that an airbag deployment is strictly a one-shot deal. They won't help beyond the first impact in a multiple impact situation (such as bouncing off of several objects or vehicles.)

The airbag assemblies must be replaced after deployment, as well. (not that it will matter much -- the other damage to your car will overshadow the cost, easily.)

Also note that airbag sensor mechanisms are designed to trigger in response to frontal impacts. (side bags will trigger on a side impact, if installed.) If you get rear-ended, do not expect the bags to deploy. (They won't be needed unless you get rammed into something else with sufficient force.)

The newer systems have two charges, and sensors underneath the seats to gauge the size/weight of the occupant. If it's a lightweight, the charges will go off in sequence, providing less of a blow to the occupant. If a heavyweight, both charges will blow at once, providing maximum deployment speed.

What does this mean to you? if your car has the newer systems, do NOT put anything under the seats, which might foul the weight sensors. Most especially, do not put anything magnetic or electrical under the seats.

And for young parents, do not sit with the kid in your lap. (It's a bad idea anyway, and lately, against the newer laws.) the extra weight of the child could be enough to cause the bag to deploy at maximum, straight into the lightweight child.... the earlier versions of airbags killed close to two hundred kids over a five-year span. That's why the newer system designs.

Seat belts, airbags, SRS systems, all more stuff to go wrong, in my humble opinion. I much prefer what my old pre-seat belt driving instructor had to say:

"Don't hit nothing!"



wsulliva

Answer 3

It depends...
All airbags should inflate within 0.1s of the moment of impact.
In all modern cars the seatbelts also have pretensioners to keep you in place during an impact. This is important as the system is designed to work best with the occupant in a certain position. The further away you are from that position the less effective the system will be at reducing your injuries.

Front airbags (Driver and front passenger) have vents that help them deflate them as you hit them so they absorb your energy as you hit them. Even so, they are really only designed to work with your seatbelt and will help reduce injuries but should not be relied upon to save your life...that's what your seatbelt is for...
Side airbags and curtain airbags dont normally have any vent holes so they will not deflate on their own.

You should never be closer than 30cm from your front airbags or you risk being injured if they do go off!

If you have a child seat in the front passenger seat you should turn your passenger airbag off, but remember to turn it back on when you take the child seat out!

No matter which airbags have gone off they will need replacing and the ECU that controls the airbags will need to be reset with a laptop if the car is considered to be repairable after the crash.

If your side airbags have gone off you will probably need to replace the roof lining as it normally folds out of the way as the curtain airbag deploys. You will probably have to replace the seats as well as this is where the side airbags are normally located.

Most car safety systems have a speed below which the airbags and pretensioners will not fire.
This is normally higher in front crashes than in side crashes as the human body will protect itself front to back better than side to side and any car has more space at the front to absorb energy than it does side to side.

Answer 4

The airbag deflates in a controlled manner as you hit it, to cushion the impact.
By the time you are aware that it has deployed, it will already be deflated.

If it stayed inflated, you would bounce violently off it in an impact, which could cause more injury than not having it there.

Answer 5

The bags inflate and deflate out of vents built into them in a wink of an eye. About .2 seconds. They only cushion the initial impact however side air bags go off in side impacts so head on front bags deploy car spins around gets hit again in the drs or passengers side and side curtain or seat bags or both go off. Manufactures are Law suit crazy so they do not release the information about how hard of a hit or even how many bags should deploy. Some cars have as many as 10 inflatable restraint systems. You cannot believe how loud they are when they go off temporally deafness or death? Once the bags go off repair expence can be several thousands of dollars. Some cars even have seat belt pretensioners that also need replacing.

Answer 6

Hi I'm sorry but i think once a safetey airbag within a vehicle has been deployed it cannot be repacked and the vehicle is usually written off.

Answer 7

I agree with everyone else. Also, you should replace all seatbelts where there were occupants or child restraints. The webbing has been stretched out and could possibly break if you were to have another accident.

Answer 8

"NO" it has 2 b trashed & replaced with a new one & probable the module that controls it.

Answer 9

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